Ah, Hops! by Liv Hinckley Hello to Bob and all his readers! First let me tell you I not only love reading your column but also greatly enjoy the ones sent in by regular folks like me. Well, maybe I'm not that regular after all because I just can't find a beer with enough hops to satisfy me. Oh, don't get me wrong. There are some fabulous hop heavy brews out there it's just that I can't find one that's over-hopped. Just call me a hop-head's hop head! Hops can do no wrong in my book. It speaks to the love craft beer drinkers have of them that India pale ale has become the top-selling craft beer style crushing the number of pale ale fans, a style that used to be number one. If the trend continues don't be surprised if the even more hop-loaded imperial IPA style takes the popularity crown. Bob, some of your readers might be surprised to know that hop seed cone is related to marijuana (they both belong to the family Cannabinaceae). Dont worry, they don't have the same effect. Hops have been around a long time; they have been cultivated since the Middle Ages when brewers realized they could add a needed bite to the bland sweetness of the malt. As an added bonus those same hops proved to have antibacterial properties that helped keep the beer from going bad for longer periods. Still, hops were not universally welcomed. There is a tale that Henry VIII gave the royal ale brewer strict orders to use "neither hops nor brimstone" in the king’s beers. Even today you'd be hard pressed to find more than a "kiss of the hops" in American macro brews since those companies seem to believe that bold flavor doesn't sell. If you want to get a general idea about the pronouncement of hops in your beer check out its IBUs. It's a unit that measures alpha acids, the main bittering chemical in hops. For example a typical IPA might have 60 IBUs while a Bueweiser might have 10. Some beers actually claim to have over 125 IBUs despite the fact that others believe the human taste buds will not register anything over 100 IBUs. As for the flavors from the hops think things like pine resin, grapefruit, orange and peppercorns. The good news is that there are hundreds of types of hops, in fact, some strains so new and experimental that they’re identified only by numbers. However it's easy to simply consider the fact that there are basically two types of hops. Aroma hops have a lower alpha acid percentage and an oil profile associated with good aroma. These hops are generally used as a finishing or conditioning hop. Bitter hops have a higher alpha acid percentage. These hops are generally used in the boiling process to extract bitterness. And there are a few varieties that are considered dual-purpose. I admit that really hoppy beers tend to be stronger, that is, have a higher percentage of alcohol. Some brewers tell me that higher alcohol simply is a product of seeking to make beers with huge tastes since more of everything goes into the brewing process. So far so good, however unfortunately for my taste buds some of the so called hoppy monsters still try to balance the flavors of the beer with copious amounts of malt. Oh well. Anyway, there are several session beers like Founders All Day IPA that will give you a solid amount of hops. There you have it, my take on hops. I'm still in search of that beer that makes a American West Coast IPA taste like a a malty Scotch Ale. Guess I'll just have to go on drinking beer until I find it! Thanks Bob for giving me a chance to talk beer with your readers! I really enjoyed writing the article. ----------- Great job Liv! I'm a fellow hop lover so I understand you affection for that wonderful ingredient. I invite everyone to send me their own columns about beer just as Liv did. I'll select the best ones and publish them here. So join in and get writing! Cheers! Bob. |
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